Wanderer 891

Wanderer
891

Any specific bodies of water you’re thinking about? From what I’ve been reading, thicknesses are ranging from 0-7 inches or so, depending on where a person is. Possibly even on the same body of water. Check the Metro forum some updates. There is fishable ice.

The “be careful” advice can sound overstated but it’s not at this point of the season.

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CJH 24

CJH
24

Fished a small west metro lake this afternoon. Shallow was 6-7 inches, about 5 inches out in the middle, good solid ice. This lake locked up early and didn't get messed up by wind or warm temps. I drilled holes as I went just to keep checking the ice, since it was our first time out for the year.

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papadarv 340

papadarv
340

On Coon Lake yesterday, drilled 25 - 30 holes on west side of Lexington bay. All holes at 8". Still 2 areas of open water (blue circle with red) (green line open last weekend so expect <2" ice) suggest not crossing the area. One < 17" walleye so he went back in.

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Walleychaser 16

Walleychaser
16

Was on the south end of Prior Lake by twin island on Sunday and found 8" of good clear ice with a couple areas that had about an inch of slush on the top. Only one other person was out and we left about noon. Fishing was slow but a great morning to be out for a while. We drilled a lot of holes as we ventured out so be safe and enjoy.

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Minnesota snowmobile trail conditions are in good shape. The Baudette trail is great north of Knight Island. Walleye action heats up in periods of stable weather. The best catching is happening in 21-25ft, with the most productive method being a dead-stick beside an actively jigged rattle bait such as a buckshot or rippin’ rap. Glow white/pink is out producing other colors. The late ice bite can be phenomenal on Lake of the Woods, ice permitting we will have houses out through the end of the month!

Canadian fishing is recommended via snowmobile as they are light enough not to drop into the slush as easy as other track vehicles. Crappies are still filling buckets and walleye are actively feeding on reef break lines and points. Walleye season is open through April 14th.

Fishing is really starting to pick up, which usually means Spring is on the way!

Fishing on the Minnesota side has been best at first and last light, which can make for long days on the ice this time of year. The Sauger bite has really picked up with a lot good sized eaters coming out of 21-25 ft. The most effective colors for both Walleye and Sauger have been Chartreuse, White, any Glow/lighted/UV (specifically red) and hammered gold. When fishing at depths less than 20 feet, keep an active presentation. Northerns tend to be most active in the early afternoon which is a good time to take a break from jigging and put out a tip-up.

Fishing on the Canadian side has been good since the last snow storm and continues to produce Crappie and Walleye. A light setup for crappies with plastics or larvae has been productive.

Slush is still frozen in well-traveled areas but it plentiful off trail.

Fishing will continue to improve as the weather does, there is still a lot of time to fit in a last minute ice fishing trip!!
Sunset Lodge

Minnesota Walleye can be found in 19-23ft early and late in the day. Rattle baits will call these actively feeding fish to the hole. Midday action is best adjacent to the break line at 25-29ft. These fish are preferring a more subtle presentation such as a minnow and plain hook or a spoon with a whole minnow on a dead-stick. It remains important to constantly re-charge glow baits to keep them productive in the deeper water.

In Canada, walleye and crappie fishing is good in typical spots. Travel can become difficult in slushy areas, solo travel is not advised. Try to run on previous tracks laid as areas of slush will have frozen over night where machines have packed the trail. We are no longer running day houses on the Canadian side, however now is your chance to bring snowmobiles, hire a local guide and limit out on the hot March bite!

We are still offering 50% off mid-week lodging through March! (Sun-Wed nights)

Minnesota walleye are being caught at a variety of depths with 24-27’ being the most consistent. Glow red with gold has been a hot combo this week. Rattle baits continue to draw active fish to our houses. Sauger activity has been very strong, providing Anglers the opportunity for full limits before new regulations take effect on March 1st. New limit regulations give a combination of six walleye/sauger with no more than 4 walleye. The slot of 19.5”-28 must be immediately release with one walleye over 28’ to be allowed in possession.

Canadian crappies are still filling buckets and freezers, they can be found near the bottom in 32-35ft. Super light tackle and willingness to keep trying different jig combinations is producing the most fish. Many tulibee are being seen this week, which make for a tasty treat out of the smoker. Walleye fishing continues to be very good in traditional areas, depth at 23-28ft.

Snow depth in our areas is between 2 and 2.5 ft. Trails are in great condition after last weeks snow and wind conditions.

On the Minnesota side, we are finding Perch, Walleye and Sauger, with 23-25 ft in the gravel being the most succesful. A lot of fish pulled from these areas were found to be preying on crawfish and spitting them up upon surfacing. Pink and white has been the top producing color combo once again. It is equally important to keep charging your glow lures. During periods of extreme cold the Dead-stick was most effective. Very nice Saugers are still being caught out of 28-29 ft. The best action has been early and late in the day.

Canada has been providing mixed bags, seeing Perch, Crappie, Walleye and big Northerns. A couple of limits of big crappies again this week, 30-33ft being the most successful depth. Big walleye and northern found in Little Traverse on rock reefs.

We received 8+ inches of snow within the past few days, trails have large drifts that are hard to see, take caution in low light conditions until trail can be groomed.

Hello from the NW Angle!
Fishing remains consistently strong on the Minnesota side this week. Many species are quick to bite leaving anglers with a very mixed bag at the end of the day. We saw multiple 40+ inch Northern, many Perch, even a Lake Trout among an already strong Walleye bite. 22-24 ft on gravel bottom surrounded by mud has been our best spots. Be sure to charge up any Glow tackle in use, with the increasing snow cover, glow or lighted lures have been hot. Pink/white and gold are also very effective on sunny days.
The Canadian bite just keeps getting better! Crappies can be found in 30 foot holes while 22-26 ft flats on break lines have been hot for a Sauger/Walleye mix.
Remember to stick to well-traveled trails as most have not been staked/marked as of yet.
Until next week!
Sunset Lodge

So the weeks betwixt point and click and smoke pole deer hunting always have my ire up to get that last Musky Missile into my hands. Gotta scrub that slime into my glove until next year. Going to give the Mississippi below Falls a try here in a few hours. Might find it frozen, might find a spot to get in. I'll bring my boat because I'm an optimist, but I'll bet the kayak is where i end up.
Wish me luck, otherwise I have a scheme on my mind for my favorite frozen central mn musky lake.

Water temperatures are holding in the low 50's but expect them to continue to drop this week with temperatures in the high 30's and even snow in the forecast.

Both Minnesota and Canadian walleye fishing are on fire with only a jig and shiner or minnow needed. Look for Walleye in areas of current, pinch points between islands or rocky bays. Fish are currently shiner dependent in 17-25 feet.

Crappies are being found away from the rocks suspended over mud bottoms in 24-28 feet.

Perch can be found on deeper reefs topping out at 28 feet.

Muskie trolling is off to a great start and will only continue to get better as the water temperature reaches into the high 40's.

We will be closing down for ice in October 22nd - we hope to see you before then for some late fall fantastic fishing!

Lake of the Woods water temps are steadily falling into the mid to low 50’s. This past week cold fronts and strong winds have fish schooling up and feeding heavily.

In Minnesota, look to rocky bays and adjacent reefs in 15-22ft. of water. A jig and minnow is all that is needed to catch a limit in a short period of time. Bottle necks between islands in the NW Angle are also worth fishing in the evenings.

In Canada, the fishing has been excellent. Crappie, walleye and perch are all schooling up and taking a jig and minnow. With the water temperatures dropping, expect to see the muskie bite increase while trolling.

We will be closing October 22nd for ice in! Contact us for availability for your fall fishing trip!

On the main basin... Very strong walleye fishing continues with the jig bite picking up. Charters finding limits of eater walleyes with big fish mixed in. Crankbaits, spinners / crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners in main basin successful. 15-31 feet of water producing good numbers of walleyes across south shore with very good numbers in front of gap. Shiners showing up at mouth of Rainy River as well as up the Rainy River.
On the Rainy River... With shiners entering the river, eater walleyes showing up as well. Anglers reporting success both jigging and pulling crankbaits. Walleye activity will be increasing as shiner run continues.

Up at the NW Angle... Strong numbers of walleyes being caught on mud flats and around Garden Island. 15 - 25' is a good start. Spinners, crankbaits and jigging all producing. Some nice jumbo perch mixed with walleyes. Muskie activity picking up as water is cooling. Next full moon, Sep 24. Crappie anglers are producing big black slabs.

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Well “sadly”. Yes I just said that. Winter is coming to an end and gross summer is near. The hot temps, Humidity, mosquitoes, crazy busy boat landings, drunk boaters. The worst time of the year is near. Life is so blah now. No snowmobiling, no ice fishing, ( I wouldn’t be done for awhile yet but mom won’t let me go anymore😳), I mean really!? I could still drive my truck out What’s more dangerous late ice or being out on first ice on 2”-4”? It’s just water, mud and by far my least favorite time of year. This winter just went by way way to fast! But it is what it is. Can’t believe it, but so long winter 18-19😭🙋‍♂️. In summary probably one of the top ice seasons for me! It’ll make me feel better if I can share some pics with y’all. Enjoy! This is only a VERY few select pics from the winter. Biggest walleye- 21” (caught 3 total all caught while fishing for crappies or gills). Biggest gill- 9-3/4”. Biggest crappie- 13”. Total ice outings 29. (I wanted one more to reach 30). 26 angling outings, 3 dark house spearing outings.

I am new to catfishing, and live near the stretch of the Mississippi river above the Ford lock and dam to the Marshall Ave. bridge. I have walked along the shore, and found some spots I think would hold some catfish. My only concern is how shallow the river is here. I will be trying these spots within the next two weeks. I am curious if anyone has had success in this section, or will I be wasting my time?

I just wrote to those five people. I am amazed at how I live in the South Haven area and yet every time I learn about these meetings after they happen. And they don’t understand why we feel they want us to stay off “their lake”. Need to be more open and up front publicly about these meetings.
As I have stated before in another forum, I have not fished Sylvia since this was implemented. Also I have not bought bait or boat gas in South Haven the last 2 years. I will spend my money where it is welcomed. I have been cleaning my boat at landings for years, plus power washing it when I get home. I am sure many good anglers/boaters do as well and for them to make us go through this inspection, which is out of the way and not even open 24 hours is rediculous. I am all for stopping the spread of AIS, but there needs to be better ways of doing a it than keeping the lake from all users.
We need everyone to get involved in this even if you don’t live near these lakes. AIS is affecting us all but we need everyone to speak up about how it will be dealt with, or more lakes will be “closed” to the public with this inspection program.

My point was that I don't want ANY ethanol in an engine/motor that gets used for a while and then sits there - that's why I run ethanol free premium in them. The ethanol sits there and gums up vital engine parts. All of my irregular use engines are modern 4-strokes that run very smoothly and use a minimal amount of fuel and I'm going to do everything I can to keep them like that. I use normal 87 or 89 octane unleaded in my truck because I use that almost every day all year round.

Got 5 nice 12"ers to fill my special regulation lake limit.. Morning bite was as good as evening bite has been. Released another 7 smaller 10" class fish. Fished 545-700 am. Crappie minnows were the bait of choice today. 1 rod was all I could handle with these suicidal slabs. Had one snap my 4# test flourocarbon leader on the hookset.